I’m a huge fan of James Bond, but for my money, Matt Helm is a much cooler character and a better series – especially the early ones. As much as Bond was a cold thug, Helm was even more brutal in his treatment, so nothing made me happier than to come across a store with a plethora of Helm books. Why no punk rockers use these titles as band names is anyone’s guess.
THE AMBUSHERS by Donald Hamilton – This 1963 effort is book six in the series, but still a great jumping-on point. It opens with Helm sent to Latin America to do a little assassination shooting. The U.S. is tight with a leader down there who needs a revolutionary group’s head taken care of from a great distance. The hit goes off without a hitch. Even when Helm has another target in his sight whom he regrets not shooting, too, he still knows the job went well.
Then comes the cleanup, where he discovers a previous female agent who looks worse than expected and needs to be returned, as well as a giant missile with limited range but of considerable importance to the U.S. Sadly, Helm can’t do a thing about bringing the missile back, but all these things come up later in the story.
The man Matt should have shot is an ex-nazi by the name of Von Sachs. Helm tracks him down, and finds Sheila – the girl he saved in Latin America – trying to prove she is better and not destined for the farm that some agents are sent to when their usefulness is done. But to throw more fuel on the fire, Hamilton has another group desperate to find the old Nazi, on a mission to bring him back alive. That’s something Helm doesn’t see going their way.
Hamilton is a marvel to read with the fluidity in his style. You won’t see the surprises coming – not by a long shot. Unlike Fleming, his novels are not bogged down a bit by long passages of where Helm will dine or where he gets his clothes, or even the exotic locales. There are some great set pieces of action, with Hamilton guiding us so well that once it’s all over, you want another one. The way Helm is written, you can just see that this is a man not to screw with or cross … or else there really will be Helm to pay.
THE MENACERS by Donald Hamilton – Taking place a few months after the events of THE BETRAYERS, 1968’s book number 11 finds Matt Helm being called up to help out another agency. This novel gets a little convoluted with all the things that go on. The basic plot is that there have been some UFO sightings down in Mexico. The problem is these UFOs are actually part of the U.S. Air Force, but this is nothing compared to the Russian agents infiltrating another American intelligence operation – not Helm’s, and actually never named. Then there is the bickering between the agencies. Seems like a lot of info to fit together, but that’s a Helm book for you.
Helm’s mission is that to bring witness Annette O’Leary back to America for questioning, with the option that if the Russians try and grab her, to dispose of her by any means necessary. Once Helm makes it to Mexico, he runs into an enemy agent whom he has dealt with before by the name of Vadya. (Her first appearance was actually in THE AMBUSHERS.) Helm figures he might be able to pump some more information out of this enemy/compatriot – that is, until she is immediately shot by another woman, whom Helm then shoots right back.
From here, Helm is under a microscope, since the woman he shot was a fellow agent. Hamilton makes no one safe in his brutal world, writing Helm even darker than usual, to the point where his long-term girlfriend Carol gets sucked into this mess, with her questioning Helm about his real job. She figured out a long time ago that Matt was working for some secret government agency, especially since Helm’s wife spilled the beans to her after their divorce. Not only does Carol finally get the answers to her questions, but she also sees the cold world Helm lives in firsthand.
There is a huge body count in this book, which will not shock any long-term readers, but it’s definitely not the book to read first.
THE INTERLOPERS by Donald Hamilton – Finishing up our little trio of Matt Helm goodness, we have a more straightforward tale from 1969. Helm is again on loan to help out an agency since he fits the bill of a now-dead courier. Said courier was supposed to pass along secrets to the Russians. But one thing you need to know is that Helm is not loaned out willy-nilly – only if it benefits Helm’s boss Mac.
The benefit is that Helm will be a sitting duck for a enemy agent named Holz, who has just killed one of Helm’s fellow agents, which Helm could care less about, since he has killed his fair share of Holz’s. Plus, Holz has a much bigger job awaiting him: killing the newly elected presidential candidate once the election has been decided.
But all this is nothing compared to what Helm goes through with his courier work. First, he is set up by some group of interlopers – hence the title – who want the secrets Helm carries. His first contacts are so paranoid, they constantly tail him to the point of ending up in a big body count themselves. This makes for pure Hamilton magic in a top-notch story.
There is some slight carryover from THE BETRAYERS with the return of an enemy whom Helm is not shocked to see again. Plus, we see a somewhat tender side we’ve not seen in Helm in a long time, with all that tenderness poured upon a little puppy named Hank. There are some great sequences that keep this spy series grounded in reality.
If you can find this one, grab it. You might feel a bit lost at the start, but once it kicks in, it blows away all the other spy fiction that’s out there. Again, for my typical Hamilton plea: Someone please reissue these books … or at least just the six books I need to finish up my collection.
Next time: Born in ‘69 (aka my birthday). –Bruce Grossman
BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THIS AUTHOR:
• THE BETRAYERS by Donald Hamilton
• THE INTIMIDATORS by Donald Hamilton
• MURDERERS’ ROW by Donald Hamilton
• NIGHT WALKER by Donald Hamilton
• TEXAS FEVER by Donald Hamilton
• THE VANISHERS by Donald Hamilton
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Don’t know why they’re not reprinting the Matt Helm books in quality trade paperbacks like Hammett, Ross MacDonald, and Chandler. I’d be more than happy to retire my fading Fawcetts and read nice new editions. I’d gladly pay $15-20 per volume.
-and thanks, you covered 3 of my favorites (but with Helm, aren’t they all?)
Larry E
Larry I’ve been beating the reissue drum for Helm since the first time I covered him. I actually came across a much better copy of Death Of A Citizen instead of the one I had which was totally falling apart and I think one of the first printings. What really gets me is that only one Hamilton book has been reissued. ONE!
Bruce,
I don’t know where you’re located, but I recently visited a used bookstore in Cheboygan, MI that had quite a few Helms. It was mostly the early stuff but I do remember seeing The Damagers on the shelf. Perhaps if you do a yellow pages search on Yahoo, you can get a phone number and give a call to see if he has what you need. Unfortunately, we were on vaction and it’s a 10 hour drive for me to get back there or I would volunteer. All books were 1/2 cover price–so on the early ones you’re looking at less than a buck apiece.
That’s a bit of a drive for me Larry. I’m live in Mass. But thanks anyway for the tip. Actually someone I chat with has the Damagers and Shadowers and were working on a trade.
Hey Bruce, Great reviews of these Matt Helm books by Donald Hamilton. I’ve always wanted to read these since I’ve heard so much positive things about these books. I love Bond, but I’m always looking for other secret agents to read about. Plus I prefer older books from the 60’s and 70’s. It will be neat to see how Hamilton really envisioned Helm instead of how Dean Martin played him.
Bruce,
Your reviews made my day. I’m a diehard Hamilton fan from way back (I read my first Helm novel in 1967, aged 12) and have read every book of his I could get my hands on over the years. The majority of the Helms are still on my shelf, although his westerns and non-series books seem to have disappeared over the years, and, a few times a year, I’ll get the urge to pull one down and re-read. I think THE AMBUSHERS is next.
Paul
Paul trust there is nothing that would male me happier then just read all the Helms I’ve got waiting. I do have Hamilton’s non fiction book on hunting. I’ll find a place to crowbar that one into one of my columns.
Hamilton’s great. A storyteller’s storyteller. Ever read any Jay Flynn? His McHugh series is tough and enjoyable 60’s spy stuff. And his standalone, Action Man, is really fantastic.
I own Action Man and will be put in my to be read pile which is never ending
The one-two punch of The Ambushers/The Shadowers is a personal favorite of mine. I also love The Intriguers, in which the US government basically tries to overthrow Helm’s little group of spooks. (As you can imagine, Helm’s outfit strikes back.) Anyone who thinks James Bond is a cold-blooded assassin hasn’t met Matt Helm. Bond would never kill innocents, but Helm realizes the end sometimes has to justify the means. If Bond reports that a bitch is dead, Helm is usually the one who made her that way.
James – Shadowers is on my list of Helm books I don’t have. I do own The Intriguers which will be read at some point.